Program Description

1. Briefly describe the proposed new program.
Please indicate if it is an expansion of an existing program; a new program;
cooperative effort with another institution, business, or industry; or an
on-campus or off-campus program. Attach any formal agreements established for
cooperative efforts.

Purpose

The University of Montana-Western
proposes offering an Associate of Applied Science in Equine Studies with two
options: Equine Science, and Equine Business Management. The new freestanding
program is not part of an existing program. The purpose of the
programs is to provide the business and public sector community of the
Northwestern Region and the State of Montana an equine studies program of
excellent academic and administrative quality aimed at developing managers,
professionals, and entrepreneurs in the equine industry.

Rationale: What Makes This Program Unique

The AAS degree in Equine Studies
is geared towards
developing professionals who can concurrently learn to integrate their academic
training with hands-on projects and case studies in their desired field of
emphasis. The program will involve cooperation with private enterprise for
purposes of field experiences, internships, and experiential learning.

A distinguishing hallmark of the
AAS degree is that students will be actively engaged in the local, statewide,
national, and global equine and business communities.

The Exciting Path

The goal of the University of
Montana-Western [UMW] is to give to graduates the tools and skills that will
ensure a high level of equine science and business acumen as well as personal
and professional satisfaction.The equine scientific and business knowledge,
leadership and management skills will serve graduates for the remainder of
their career. By following this rigorous and exciting path, good equine
managers and professionals will achieve greater success.

2.Summarize
a needs assessment conducted to justify the proposal. Please include how the assessment plan was developed or executed
and the data derived from this effort.

Needs Assessment

The horse industry is a highly
diverse industry that supports a wide variety of activities in all regions of
the country. It combines the primarily rural activities of breeding, training,
maintaining, and riding horses with the more urban activities of operating
racetracks; horse shows, cutting events, rodeo events, and public sales.

For years, horsemen and women have
known that the American horse industry is a significant, economically diverse
and productive business that deserves the attention and appreciation of
government, media, and the public.
However, they had no written documentation to support their claims.

After a yearlong study conducted
by Barents Group of Washington, D.C. and commissioned by the American Horse
Council Foundation, the horse industry has demonstrated that it is a major
contributor to the American economy. Following are some industry statistics
from “The Economic Impact of the Horse Industry in the United States.”

Area horse producers will provide
letters indicating a need for the Equine Science Program.

Although the AAS degree can be
a terminal degree, The University of Montana-Western offers
the AAS degree graduate the opportunity to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree,in the form of the
Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) degree that incorporates much of the coursework taken by
students in completing the AAS.
Much of the coursework would also be transferable into Western's
recently approve B.S. in Business, especially into the Tourism option.

Evidence in Support of Need

There are 6.9 million horses in
the United States, including both commercial and recreational horses. Of those,
725,000 horses are involved in racing and racehorse breeding, while 1,974,000
and 2,970,000 are used in showing and recreation, respectively. The remainder,
1,262,800 are used in other activities, such as farm and ranch work, rodeo,
polo, police work, etc.

There are 7.1 million Americans
involved in the industry as horse owners, service providers, employees and
volunteers. Of those, 3.6 million and 4.3 million of those participated in
showing and recreation, respectively, with some overlap in cases of people who
participate in both activities. Over 941,000 people participated in racing in
either a professional or volunteer capacity. Approximately 1.9 million people
own horses. In addition to the people actually involved in the industry, tens
of millions more Americans participate as spectators.

The horse industry is a respected,
broad based activity with multiple stakeholders including large numbers of
recreational and show horse riders, and moderate-income track, show and stable
employees and volunteers. The median income for all U.S. households is
$60,000. Fourteen percent of horse-owning
households have incomes under $25,000, 38% under $50,000 and 64% under $75,000.

The number of horses, participants
in an activity, and the activity are listed below.

ActivityHorsesParticipants

Racing 725,000 941,000

Showing 1,974,000 3,607,900

Recreation 2,970,000 4,346,100

Other 1,262,000 1,607,900

Total 6,931,000 7,062,500

This includes farm and ranch work,
police work, rodeo, cutting, and polo.
The sum of participants by activity does not equal the total number of
participants because individuals could be counted in more than one activity.

Impact on the American Economy

The horse industry directly
produces goods and services of $25.3 billion and has a total impact of $112.1
billion on the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP). Racing, showing, and
recreation each contribute more than 25% to the total value of goods and
services produced by the industry.

The industry’s contribution to the
U.S. GDP is greater than the motion picture services, railroad transportation,
furniture and fixtures, manufacturing, and tobacco product manufacturing
industries. It is only slightly smaller than the apparel and other textile
products manufacturing industries.

The industry pays a total of $1.9
billion in taxes to federal, state, and local governments.

Of the 619,400 people directly employed
by the industry, some are part-time and seasonal employees, which equates to
338,500 full-time equivalent jobs.

This is the standard way that the
Bureau of Labor Statistics measures employment in the United States. The
industry generates over 1.4 million FTE jobs across the U.S.

The total economic impact
nationally is $121.1 billion; 7.1 million Americans are involved in the
industry, 1.4 million full-time jobs, 6.9 million horses, and $1.9 billion is
paid in taxes.

Broken down, the horse industry
has a direct economic effect in the urban areas of $2.8 billion and employs
45,800 employees. In the rural areas, the direct economic effect is $22.5
billion and employs 292,700 FTE employees.

3. Explain how the program relates to the Role
and Scope of the institution as established by the Board of Regents.

UMW Mission

Western's mission statement begins
with the following: “The unique mission of the University of Montana-Western
emphasizes experiential learning that combines theory and practice through
projects and field experience."
The proposed program fits this aspect of Western's mission well and
interfaces excellently with Western's programs in Business, Tourism, Wildlands
Interpretation, its rodeo and equestrian teams, and the surrounding ranching
community.

AAS Degree in Equine Science and the Mission

The proposed AAS degree in Equine
Studies is in congruence with the overall mission of UM-Western, which is to
provide “hands-on, experiential learning and integrated thinking” by employing
multiple learning methods through internships, field experience, and community
involvement.

UMW has long offered Associate
degrees that provide occupation-specific and related instruction that prepare
students for employment. UMW also continues to meet immediate and short-term
training needs of industry and business within its major service area. A
broadly based program in equine studies will provide students the opportunity
to develop, improve, or update their knowledge and skills.

4. Please state what effect, if any, the
proposed program will have on the administrative structure of the institution.
Also indicate the potential involvement of other departments, divisions,
colleges, or schools.

Effects on UMW Administrative Structure

There will not be any impact on
the administrative structure of the institution.

The program will be administered
under the auspices of the School of Education, Business and Technology.

Because of the interdisciplinary
nature of the program, other departments will provide supporting courses.

5. Describe the extent to which similar programs are offered in
Montana, the Pacific Northwest, and the states bordering Montana. How similar
are these programs to the one proposed?

Benchmarking

The following two and four year degrees in Equine
Science/Equine Studies are offered in institutions in a region encompassing the
following ten states: Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, Montana, Utah,
Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Colorado. The data was drawn from the
College Examination Board’s Index of Majors and Graduate degrees (1997), The
College Blue Book (2001), and the current web page of the Intercollegiate Horse
Show Association. The mileage between each institution and The University of
Montana-Western is included.

Associate Degree Programs

College of Southern Idaho (ID) --
301 miles

Lamar Community College (CO) –
1,009 miles

Laramie Community College (WY) --
713 miles

Linn Benton Community College (OR)
-- 793 miles

Northeastern Junior College (CO)
-- 847 miles

Northwest College (WY) -- 313
miles

Baccalaureate Degree
Programs

Brigham Young University (UT)--
398 miles

Colorado State University (CO)
--754 miles

Oregon State University (OR) --
805 miles

Rocky Mountain College (MT) -- 262
miles

The two-year programs cited above are quite similar
to the proposed UMW curriculum, both in course content and in program
objectives. All of the proposed courses are either offered at the other
two-year institutions under the same or similar name, or the content is assumed
within other courses.

6. Please name any accrediting agency(ies) or learned society(ies)
that would be concerned with the particular program herein proposed. How has
this program been developed in accordance with criteria developed by said
accrediting body(ies) or learned society(ies)?

Accrediting Agencies

To the best of our knowledge, no
such society or accrediting agency exists.

7. Prepare an outline of the proposed curriculum
showing course titles and credits.
Please include any plans for expansion of the program during its first
three years.

AAS
IN EQUINE STUDIES

[72
credits required]

The Equine Studies Program provides the student a
venue for his or her passion for horses. Students will be introduced to widely
accepted training principles, and may receive a solid background in equine
management principles. The two-option program gives students the latitude
necessary to find their preferred place in the equine industry.

General Education—15
credits – Existing Courses

POLS 121 American Government (3)

COMS 101 Introduction to Computers (3)

ENG 101 Freshman Composition (3)

ENG 131 Oral Communication (3)

MATH 104 Mathematics for the Liberal Arts (3)

Other Required Courses—9
credits

BUS 210 Career Planning (2)

BUS 217 Business and Electronic Communications (3)

EQST 200 Internship (4) (New)

Equine Core—15 credits - New Courses

EQST 101 Introduction to Equine Studies (3)

EQST 102 Equine Selection and Judging-Western (3)

Or

EQST 104 Equine Selection and Judging-English (3)

EQST 201 Principles of Equine Nutrition (3)

EQST 202 Equine Physiology (3)

EQST 203 Equine Reproduction (3)

EQST 204 Farm and Ranch Management (3)

Option (select one) – 30
credits:

·Equine Science Option

·Equine Management Option

Equine Science Option—30
credits

This option gives students a foundation in the
sciences with an emphasis on hands-on skills associated with all aspects of
equine services.

Science Requirements—15
credits

BIO 101 Introduction to Life Science (3)

BIO 152 Botany (4)

BIO 262 Microbiology (4)

GEOL 150 Environmental Geology (4)

Professional Electives—15
credits

ANTH 105 Introduction to Anthropology (3)

ART 380 Artist Blacksmithing (3)

BIO 151 Zoology (4)

BUS 202 Customer Service (3)

COMS 135 Microcomputer Applications (3)

ENVS 260 Wildlands Skills (2-8)

GEOL 101 Introduction to Geology (3)

GEOL 230 Geology of the American West (4)

HPE 231 First Aid and Safety (1)

PSY 100 General Psychology (3)

SPAN 101 Elementary Spanish (5)

All EQST elective courses

Equine Management Option—30
credits

This option is designed for students interested in
pursuing a career in the management of the equine industry. Students will be
given an exposure to the business and economic realities of the equine
industry

Covers basic confirmation and
conformation faults and stresses form to function relationships. Judging in classes include: classes in
halter, western pleasure, hunter (under saddle), reining, classes in trail,
western riding, hunter hack, working hunter. Current standards of equine
excellence for the selection and improvement of breeding stock, judging
procedures, and conduct in the show ring are some of the topics to be
discussed.

EQST 104 EQUINE SELECTION AND JUDGING-ENGLISH (3)

Fundamental concepts of correct
structure and causes of lameness in the equine with an emphasis on English
performance horses. Judging methods and
systems, professional conduct at the horse show, and review of pertinent AHSA
rules and procedures are some of the topics to be addressed.

EQST 200 INTERNSHIP (4)

A laboratory field experience
providing a practical application of acquired knowledge and theory in a
professional setting. Students serve under the guidance of professional
personnel with the support of a university faculty supervisor. Students will
complete a series of written periodic reports and a portfolio in the form of a
final comprehensive report on their experience. Prereq: Sophomore standing, and
c/i.

EQST 201—PRINCIPLES OF EQUINE
NUTRITION (3)

Presents digestive anatomy and
physiology in addition to basic nutrition.
Topics include principles of digestion, nutrient requirements, and
ration formulations.

2. Please project the need for new faculty over the first five-year
program. Include special qualifications or training. If present faculty are to
conduct the new program, please explain how they will be relieved from present
duties.

The program will be taught with
existing faculty and adjunct faculty in the initial stages. Initial plans are
for the teaching of five additional courses per year, either by adjuncts or by
regular faculty with adjuncts teaching portions of the existing load of the
regular faculty members. As the program grows, one new faculty member will be
hired, possibly in the third year of the program. Expanding partnerships with
the community will provide relief for existing faculty in the form of workshops
and internships provided by partners.

Initial enrollment in the program
is expected to be between 10 and 20 students based on informal surveys among
current students. Increasing enrollment
beyond 30 per year might require additional sections of courses to be taught
and additional faculty to be hired.

3. Please explain the need and cost for support personnel or other
required personnel expenditures.

There will be no additional need
for support personnel with the addition of this program. Current staff time
devoted to this degree will be proportional to the numbers of students enrolled
in the degree.

Costs for 15 credits of adjunct
teaching per year should be less than $15,000 including salary and
benefits. Adding a full-time faculty
member, possibly in the third year of the program, would cost approximately
$50,000 per year, including salary and benefits.

Capital Outlay, Operating Expenditures, and Physical Facilities

1.Please
summarize operating expenditure needs

The operating expenditures of the
AAS would be proportional to that of Western's other students enrolled in its
other programs. Extra costs associated
with offering the program would be reduced by partners providing use of
facilities or by the addition of course fees, where necessary.

2.Please
evaluate library resources. Are they
adequate for operation of the proposed program? If not, how will the library need to be strengthened during the
next three years?

Currently, library resources in
the Lucy Carson Library are inadequate to support an AAS degree program in
Equine Studies. By examining the library collection at The University of Findlay,
Ohio, which offers degrees in Equestrian Studies and Equine Business
Management, we have a concept of what a core collection in equine science
should be. Findlay holds over 100 books, audiovisuals, and video recordings in
equine science published from 1991-2001.

According to The Bowker Annual
2001, the average hardcover book price is $67.24/title in Agriculture and
$85.77/title in Science (2000 preliminary data). The average periodical price
in Agriculture is $102.57/title (2001) and the average VHS cassette price was
$72.31 (1998). Therefore, a start-up core collection for the AAS Equine Studies
consisting of 50 books, five periodicals, and 10 videos would cost
approximately $5500. Each year
Western's library allocates funds for acquisitions of holdings to serve
Western's academic programs. If the AAS
program in Equine Science is approved, part of the allocation to the School of
Education, Business and Technology would go towards purchasing the necessary
acquisitions. Thereafter,
library funding will be proportional to the numbers of students enrolled in the
program.

3.Please
indicate special clinical, laboratory, and/or computer equipment that will be
needed. List those pieces of equipment or computer hardware presently available
in the department.

Library computer hardware,
electronic resources for research, and facilities are adequate to meet the
information access needs of the Equine Studies Program. Software specific to
Equine Studies would need to be purchased as part of the core collection and
ongoing development of the collection, since current software holdings
(CD-ROM’s) are inadequate.

4.Please
describe facilities and space required for the proposed program. Are current facilities adequate for the
program? If not, how does the institution
propose to provide new facilities?

Current
classroom facilities are adequate.
Field experiences will make use of facilities provided by partners or
provided using course or program fees to students.

EVALUATION OF PROPOSED PROGRAM

1.Please
name faculty committees or councils and have reviewed and approved the program
herein proposed.

This
proposal has been reviewed and approved by The University of Montana-Western’s
Business and Technology Department; the academic and administrative officers of
The University of Montana-Western; the campus Curriculum Committee; and the Faculty Senate.

2.If outside
consultants have been employed, please list the names of these consultants,
their current positions and titles. Append copies of their written reports
(this is a requirement of new doctoral programs).

No
external consultants were employed. Mr. William Kriegel, LaCense, MT; Lynn
Harrington-Hirschy and Don Harrington, Hirschy and Harrington Ranches; Jim and
Kate Kajin, Bloody Dick Outfitters; John and Phyllis Erb, Beaverhead Livestock
Auction and Erb Ranches; and LeeAnn Demars, National Quarter Horse judge and
producer have added input to the design of the program.

Conclusion

The returns of the proposed
program are numerous and great for students, the university, and the equine
community both in Montana and out of state. Accumulated knowledge, experience
and exposure to new equine learning can fuel student career momentum. The new
network of association with the wider equine community will help expand the scope
of the equine business potential.